LETTER: Contraceptives ruling validates bad policy

TO THE EDITOR: While the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals may have ruled that it was not discriminatory for Union Pacific Railroad to exclude contraceptive coverage in its health plan, it is clearly fiscally irresponsible ("Contraceptives Policy Not Biased: Court," BI, March 19).

Recent published research shows that the direct medical costs of unintended pregnancies in the United States were estimated to be $5 billion a year, while direct medical cost savings due to contraceptive use were estimated to be $19 billion. Union Pacific would have spent significantly more for unintended pregnancies than it would have spent on contraceptive coverage.

Fiscally irresponsible, indeed. Shareholders, are you listening?

James Trussell

Director, Princeton University's Office of Population Research

Member, Assn. of Reproductive Health Professionals

Wayne Shields

President and CEO, Assn. of Reproductive Health Professionals